Dry cleaning apparatus



Aug. 31, 1965 B. L. BRUCKEN DRY CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 51, 1963 w; Arrow/5y Aug. 31, 1965 B. L. BRUCKEN DRY CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 u 2 m y T x f 0 2 5 (I. l m N I? Z M @z/ N u fl/ 1 2 ,2 ww W 0M w W 2. llll -431 i L 0. m T E n J 7 o A o\ .0 M 4 "I Z s z M 2 M M v r M BWW United States Patent M 3,203,268 DRY CLEANENG APPARATUS Byron L. Bruclren, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Miclr, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 31, 1963, Ser. No. 2?8,984 6 Gains. (Cl. 68-207) This invention relates to a dry cleaning apparatus and more particularly to a controlled water injection system for a dry cleaner having an improved mechanical relative humidity sensing arrangement.

The proper operation of an effective dry cleaning system requires that all soil, both water soluble and solvent soluble, be removed from the garments being cleaned. For this reason perchlorethylene and detergent are frequently combined in a water-solvent solution to perform the cleaning task, and it is essential that the Water content or relative humidity of the solution be maintained at a predetermined level in order to optimize the effectiveness of the detergent in removing water soluble spots.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved system for sensing the relative humidity of a dry cleaning solvent and, in response thereto, providing a controlled supply of water to the solvent in order to maintain the solvent at a desired relative humidity.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in a dry cleaner a combination system for sensing the relative humidity of a dry cleaning solvent and supplying makeup water thereto.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision in a dry cleaner of a relative humidity sensor adapted to be submerged in the dry cleaning solvent, said sensor comprising an immersible membrane which is inert to solvent but sensitive to moisture.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front sectional view, partly in elevation, of a dry cleaning apparatus suitable for use with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, of the relative humidity sensor of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along line 33 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic representation of the mechanical system for sensing and controlling the relative humidity of a dry cleaning solvent.

Suitable for use with this invention and turning now to FIGURE 1, a unitary dry cleaning system or apparatus of the replaceable filter cartridge type is illustrated. The system includes an outer cabinet for partially enclosing a clothes cleaner or agitating apparatus 12 and a clothes dryer or drying apparatus 14. Note that the clothes dryer 14 is elevated above the floor to provide for a filter compartment 16 therebelow. The clothes cleaner 12 has a top access door 18 which is pivotally openable for inserting and removing fabrics from the cleaner.

The clothes dryer 14 has a front access door 20 which faces the washer access door 18 adjacent one side thereof. This arrangement places the access doors 18 and 20 in a confined area defined by a top Wall 22 and a side wall 24 of the dry cleaning cabinet 10a perforate grille 26 at the rear of the confined space operating to withdraw fumes from the area. The outlet or vent grille 26 is 3,263,208 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 connected to the atmosphere through an exhaust blower at the rear of the cabinet.

The cleaner or agitating apparatus 12 is shown comprised of an outer cabinet 28 in the top wall of which is located the access door 18, hinged along a rear edge thereof. Within the washer cabinet 28, a generally cylindrical, imperforate solvent container 30 is disposed which includes an access opening in axial alignment with the top access lid 18 of the washer. The lower end of the solvent container 30 includes a drain opening 32 draining the solvent container from a lowermost portion thereof. A generally cylindrical spin tub or container 34 is rotatably supported in the solvent container and includes a plurality of circumferentially arranged outflow ports 35 around an upper portion thereof and a top access opening 36 which aligns with the door 18 immediately above. Within the spin tub 34, an agitator 37 is adapted for vertical reciprocation. A motor-driven agitating and spinning mechanism is shown generally at 38 and is adapted to vertically reciprocate the agitator 37 when operated in one manner and to rotate or spin the tub 34 when rotated in another manner.

The clothes dryer 14 is a conventional, single pass, circulating air dryer substantially like that taught in the patent to Whyte 2,843,945 issued July 22, 1958. The dryer includes a horizontally rotatable tumbling drum or container 38 having a perforate rear wall 40 and a front access opening 42 in alignment with the dryer door 20. A drying heater 44 is disposed adjacent the perforate rear Wall 40 of the tumbling drum and is adapted to be energized for drying clothes within the tumbling drum. During operation of the heater 44 and rotation of the tumbling drum 38, air is circulated by a fan 46 connected with the drum access opening 42 by way of a front duct 48, said front duct being exhausted to atmosphere by the fan through an exhaust duct 50.

The solvent circulating system for a dry cleaning fluid or solvent, such as perchlorethylene (a somewhat toxic dry cleaning fluid) or Valclene (a nontoxic dry cleaning fluid made by the Du Pont Corporation which is essentially Freon 113) Will now be described with reference to FIGURE 1. The main components of the circulating system include a sump or solvent reservoir 52 having a top wall 54 with an air vent and spill-over return 56, thereby to substantially enclose the solvent and its vapor. Immersed in the solvent is a cooling coil 57 through which water courses, said water being thermostatically controlled to maintain the solvent at its best cleaning temperature. Above the sump top wall 54 is a pump 58 which has its inlet connected through a solvent suction dip tube 68 to the bottom of the sump 52. A filter 62 is adapted to receive the output of the pump through a conduit 64 which connects to the inlet 66 of the filter. The case of the filter 62 is positioned angularly in the filter compartment 16, such that a gravity drain 68 extends through the sump Wall 54 and includes a valve 70 manually openable to substantially drain the filter of solvent when the dry cleaning system is shut down. A solvent by-pass line 72 is provided at the top of the filter case to bleed air from the case. Unfiltered solvent passes through the by-pass line during operation of the filtration system and returns to the solvent reservoir.

At one end of the filter, an outlet fitting 74 connects by way of a solvent supply conduit 76 through a twoway or two-position valve 78 and supply conduit 79 to the tub access opening 36-a terminal portion 89 overlying the top of the spin tub 34. The two-position valve 78 may be controlled such as by a solenoid into a first position connecting the filter outlet 74 to the spin tub 34 and a second position connecting the filter outlet to a sump return line 82. Completing the circulating system is a 3 conduit 84 which connects to the drain outlet 32 of the solvent container 31). This conduit 84 enters the sump 52 by way of a button trap 86, access to which is gained through a removable lid thereabove for cleaning.

The fluid circulation system operates as follows. The pump 58 draws dry cleaning fluid or solvent from sump 52 through the dip tube 60. This dry cleaning fluid, cleaned of large objects by the trap 86, is forced through the conduit 64 to the filter 62 which is etfective to remove .small solids, solubles and any loose carbon particles from the dry cleaning fluid. After an initial period in which the two-position valve 73 returns the solvent to the sump, the valve is actuated to discharge the solvent from the filter by way of the conduit '76 and its end nozzle 81) into the spin tub 34. When the level of dry cleaning fluid within the tub reaches the outflow ports 35, the dry cleaning fluid will continue to overflow into the solvent container 30 during the agitate cycle and will return by gravity through the conduit 84 to the sump 52. For additional details on the replaceable cartridge type of dry cleaning system, reference may be had to the copending application Serial No. 120,420, filed June 28, 1961, now Patent No. 3,110,170, and to the other applications referred to therein and assigned to the same assignee.

In the foregoing equipment a cleaning solution of perchlorethylene and detergent will remove and dissolve most of the soil from the garments being cleaned, and water soluble spots not removable in dry cleaning solvent alone can often be removed by spotting with water prior to dry cleaning. Such prespotting requires a certain amount of skill and extra time on the part of the attendant. Thus, it appears that the presence of water in a dry cleaning solution is helpful in the removal of water soluble spots and it is known that even an increase in detergent concentration does not sufficiently increase the systems potential for spot removal unless accompanied by an increase in the relative humidity (RI-I.) of the solvent, i.e., the water content of the cleaning solution. Moreover, carbon soil removal will also increase slightly with the solvent solution at a higher RH. and linting on the clothes will be reduced.

On the other hand, an excess of water in the dry cleaning solution has some disastrous side effects, such as severe wrinkling of the garments being cleaned, shrinkage and higher redeposition of soil which results in the graying of the garments. This suggests that the proportion of water to solvent maintained in the dry cleaning system is critical and it is to mechanical apparatus for sensing and controlling this proportion that this invention is directed.

General With reference to FIGURE 1, the mechanical sensing system of this invention is comprised generally of a relative humidity sensor 102 adapted to be at least partially submerged below the level 103 of the solvent in the sump 52. The water injection system consists of a solenoid operated valve 106, a manually operated water control valve 108, a water fount or catch basin 11G exposed in the area of the vent grille 26, and a venturi or mixing means 112 in the solvent supply line to the spin tub.

Mechanical sensing system The mechanical relative humidity sensor 102 of this invention is comprised of a right angle support member or means 114 having an upright portion 116 adapted to extend through the top wall 54 of the sump and provided with indicia on an exposed portion thereof for reading and setting the relative humidity of the solvent. On a lateral portion 118 of the support means, an endless belt or membrane 120 of polyvinyl alcohol (P.V.A.) or the like is carried on transverse rods 122, 124the distance between said rods being made adjustable through a threaded member 126 at one end of the support memher for calibrating the sensor. More tension for a drier system and less tension for a water system. The membrane is selected of a material which is inert to solvent but sensitive to moisture. A flange 128 is turned down to pivotally support a relative humidity indicating means 131). The indicating means has inturned tabs 132, 133 on one side thereof for carrying the membrane support rod 124 and a switch actuating member or protuberance 13d on the other side thereof. A relative humidity setting means 136 is pivotally supported at 138 on the support member 114 and carries thereon a microswitch 141 in a position adjacent the switch actuating member 134. Thus, the pivoting action of the relative humidity setting member 136 adjusts the distance between the microswitch 140 and the protuberance 134 to determine the RH. reading at which the switch will be actuated.

In operation, the membrane 120 expands as the moisture in the solvent increases-the expansion serving to move the protuberance 134 toward the microswitch 140 in a manner to actuate the switch in the fill circuit to be described next following. Turning now to FIGURE 4, the microswitch 141) is shown in a relative humidity or desired moisture content satisfied open position, thereby deenergizing a tub solvent fill circuit 151 which includes, in addition to the twoway valve 78, a relay 152 having a switch 154 in series with the solenoid for the water fill valve 106. The switch 154 and the solenoid for valve 1% are in a circuit 156 which is energizable only during the agitate portion of the clothes cleaning cycle, i.e., when the agitating and spinning mechanism 38 is energized in a manner to vertically reciprocate the agitator 37. Thus, in order to add water to the dry cleaning solution, both the two-way valve 78 (for tub fill) and the mechanism 38 (for agitate) have to be energized. Such an arrangement permits the addition of water to the continuously supplied dry cleaning solution only during the agitate cycle of the dry cleaning apparatus. If the clothes were not being agitated, a possibility would exist whereby droplets of free water would impinge upon certain of the garments, giving rise to problems such as shrinkage and uneven cleaning. By agitating the clothes concurrently with the supply of water to the solvent, a thorough mixing occurs and all garments are subjected to a homogeneous dry cleaning solution.

Water injection system The water to be injected into the solvent is taken from the solvent cooling coil 57 as at 160 and the injection or entrainment thereof is controlled by the solenoid valve 106 and the manual valve 108. An air gap to satisfy conventional codes exists between the water supply line 162 and the catch basin so that the droplets of water supplied are visible to the operator of the dry cleaner, thereby assuring him of the operability of the system. The venturi 112 in the tub fill line '79 creates a negative pressure which is used to draw the water from the catch basin 110 into the tub fill line through an inlet tap 164 in the venturi. In operation, approximately two and one-half to three and one-half ounces of water is added once every three or four consecutive loads. As water accumulates in the solvent in the sump 52, the membrane 121) will expand to terminate the water injection. Conversely, the contraction of the membrane 120 will signal an insuflicient moisture content or relative humidity in the solvent and will retract the protuberance 134 from the microswitch 140, thereby closing the switch to condition the circuit for water injection.

It should now be seen that an improved mechanically controlled water injection system has been provided wherein a membrane responsive to solvent RH. is used directly to actuate a supply of water to the solvent.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination,

(a) means forming a container adapted to contain a dry cleaning solvent such as perchlorethylene or the like ,for dry cleaning clothes,

/(b) means forming a substantially closed sump means containing a predetermined level of dry cleaning solvent therein and having a top wall,

(c) means including a Water cooling line in said sump means below said predetermined level for cooling said dry cleaning solvent,

(d) means including a solvent supply conduit connected in supply relationship to said container for effecting the circulation of dry cleaning solvent between said sump means and said container,

(e) means for supply water to the dry cleaning solvent being supplied to said container including a mixing means in said solvent supply conduit having a water inlet, a water supply conduit having one end connected to said water cooling line and its other end connected to the water inlet of said mixing means, and valve means in said water supply conduit openable for passing a regulated amount of Water to said mixing means for entrainment into the solvent being supplied to said container,

(f) and control means for controlling said valve means, said control means including a relative humidity sensor comprising support means having a first portion submerged in the solvent in said sump means and a second portion adapted to extend out of the solvent and including relative humidity indicating indicia and relative humidity setting indicia, relative humidity indicating means pivotally carried on said support means and movable relative to said relative humidity indicating indicia, said relative humidity indicating means including an actuator portion movable therewith along a predetermined path, relative humidity setting means pivotally carried on said su, port means and movable relative to said relative humidity setting indicia and relative to said relative humidity indicating means, switch means having a portion thereof movable with said relative humidity setting means along a path coplanar with the predetermined path of said actuator portion and electrically connected to said valve means, and relative humidity sensing means having one portion adjustably connected to said support means and another portion connected to said relative humidity indicating means, said relative humidity sensing means being expandable in response to the presence of a predetermined amount of moisture in the dry cleaning solvent to effect the pivotal movement of said relative humidity indicating means and said actuator portion respectively to indicate the relative humidity of said dry cleaning solvent and to actuate said switch means thereby to control said valve means.

2. In combination,

(a) means forming a container adapted to contain a dry cleaning solvent such as perchlorethylene or the like for dry cleaning clothes,

(b) means forming a substantially closed sump means containing a predetermined level of dry cleaning solvent therein and having a top wall,

(c) means including a solvent supply conduit connected in supply relationship to said container for elfecting the circulation of dry cleaning solvent between said sump means and said container,

(d) means for supplying water to the dry cleaning solvent being supplied to said container including a mixing means in said solvent supply conduit having a Water inlet, a water supply conduit having one end connected to a source of water and its other end connected to the water inlet of said mixing means, and valve means in said water supply conduit openable for passing a regulated amount of water to said mixing means for entrainment into the solvent being supplied to said container,

(e) and control means for controlling said valve means, said control means including a relative humidity sensor comprising support means having a first portion submerged in the solvent in said sump means and a second portion adapted to extend out of the solvent and including relative humidity indicating indicia and relative humidity setting indicia, relative humidity indicating means pivotally carried on said support means and movable relative to said relative humidity indicating indicia, said relative humidity indicating means including an actuator portion movable therewith along a predetermined path, relative humidity setting means pivotally carried on said support means and movable relative to said relative humidity setting indicia and relative to said relative humidity indicating means, switch means having a portion thereof movable with said relative humidity setting means along a path coplanar with the predetermined path of said actuator portion and electrically connected to said valve means, and relative humidity sensing means having one portion adjustably connected to said support means and another portion connected to said relative humidity indicating means, said relative humidity sensing means being expandable in response to the presence of a predetermined amount of moisture in the dry cleaning solvent to effect the pivotal movement of said relative humidity indicating means and said actuator portion respectively to indicate the relative humidity of said dry cleaning solvent and to actuate said switch means thereby to control said valve means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said relative humidity sensing means is a membrane of polyvinyl alcohol.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said relative humidity sensing means is comprised of a material unatlected by solvent but affected by water.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein the supply of water to the dry cleaning solvent is in an exposed position adjacent the container.

6. In combination,

(a) means forming a container adapted to contain a dry cleaning solvent such as perchlorethylene or the like for dry cleaning clothes,

(b) means forming a substantially closed sump means containing a predetermined level of dry cleaning solvent therein,

(c) means including a solvent supply conduit connected in supply relationship to said container for eifecting the circulation of dry cleaning solvent between said sump means and said container,

(d) means for supplying water to the dry cleaning solvent being supplied to said container including a mixing means in said solvent supply conduit having -a Water inlet, a water supply conduit having one end connected to a source of water and its other end connected to the water inlet of said mixing means, and valve means in said water supply conduit openable for passing a regulated amount of water to said mixing means for entrainment into the solvent being supplied to said container.

(e) and control means for controlling said valve means, said control means including a relative humidity sensor comprising support means having a first portion submerged in the solvent in said sump means and a second portion adapted to extend out of the solvent and including relative humidity indicating indicia and relative humidity setting indicia, relative humidity indicating means carried on said support means and movable relative to said relative humidity indicating indicia, said relative humidity indicating means including an actuator portion movable therewith along a predetermined .path, relative humidity setting means carried on said support means and movable relative to said relative humidity setting indicia and relative to said relative humidity indicating means, switch means having a portion thereof movable in response to said relative humidity setting means along a path coplanar with the predetermined path of said actuator portion and electrically connected to said valve means, and relative humidity sensing means having one portion connected to said support means and another portion connected to said relative humidity indicating means, said relative humidity sensing means being expandable in response to the presence of a predetermined amount of moisture in the dry cleaning solvent to effect the movement of said relative humidity indicating means and said actuator portion respectively to indicate the relative humidity of said dry cleaning solvent and to actuate said switch means thereby to control said valve means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner. 

6. IN COMBINATION, (A) MEANS FORMING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT SUCH AS PERCHLORETHYLENE OR THE LIKE FOR DRY CLEANING CLOTHES, (B) MEANS FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED SUMP MEANS CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF DRY CLEANING SOLVENT THEREIN, (C) MEANS INCLUDING A SOLVENT SUPPLY CONDUIT CONNECTED IN SUPPLY RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CONTAINER FOR EFFECTING THE CIRCULATION OF DRY CLEANING SOLVENT BETWEEN SAID SUMP MEANS AND SAID CONTAINER, (D) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO THE DRY CLEANING SOLVENT BEING SUPPLIED TO SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A MIXING MEANS IN SAID SOLVENT SUPPLY CONDUIT HAVING A WATER INLET, A WATER SUPPLY CONDUIT HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER AND ITS OITHER END CONNECTED TO THE WATER INLET OF SAID MIXING MEANS, AND VALVE MEANS IN SAID WATER SUPPLY CONDUIT OPENABLE FOR PASSING A REGULATED AMOUNT OF WATER TO SAID MIXING MEANS FOR ENTRAINMENT INTO THE SOLVENT BEING SUPPLIED TO SAID CONTAINER. (E) AND CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID VALVE MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSOR COMPRISING SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A FIRST PORTION SUBMERGED IN THE SOLVENT IN SAID SUMP MEANS AND A SECOND PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND OUT OF THE SOLVENT AND INCLUDING RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING INDICIA AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY SETTING INDICIA, RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING MEANS CARRIED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING INDICIA, SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING MEANS INCLUDING AN ACTUATOR PORTION MOVABLE THEREWITH ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, RELATIVE HUMIDITY SETTING MEANS CARRIED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY SETTING INDICIA AND RELATIVE TO SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING MEANS, SWITCH MEANS HAVING A PORTION THEREOF MOVABLE IN RESPONSE TO SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY SETTING MEANS ALONG A PATH COPLANAR WITH THE PREDETERMINED PATH OF SAID ACTUATOR PORTION AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS, AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSING MEANS HAVING ONE PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND ANOTHER PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING MEANS, SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY SENSING MEANS BEING EXPANDABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN THE DRY CLEANING SOLVENT TO EFFECT THE MOVEMENT OF SAID RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATING MEANS AND SAID ACTUATOR PORTION RESPECTIVELY TO INDICATE THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF SAID DRY CLEANING SOLVENT AND TOE ACTUATE SAID SWITCH MEANS THEREBY TO CONTROL SAID VALVE MEANS. 